Weekend traffic: Parts of I-35W and Metro Blue Line to shut down in Minneapolis

Work abounds on both the roads and the rails in the metro area this weekend as MnDOT will close the southbound lanes of I-35W through south Minneapolis and Metro Transit has a big maintenance and construction project scheduled along the Blue Line.

Congestion and possible gridlock will be the problem Friday afternoon as football traffic will be pouring into Minneapolis just as commuting traffic is trying to make its way out. The Vikings play their first game at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota at 7 p.m. against the Oakland Raiders. See yesterday's blog post on tips to getting to the game.

The Irish Fair of Minnesota will draw crowds to Harriet Island in downtown St. Paul for step dancing, gaelic sports and all things, well Irish, Friday through Sunday. Look extra traffic on Robert and Wabasha Streets as well as on I-94 and Hwy. 52. Rod Stewart and Santana rock out at the Xcel Energy Center Sunday night.

I-35W closure

Originally set for midnight Friday, MnDOT has pushed back the closure of southbound I-35W from Hwy. 55/Hiawatha Avenue to 46th Street to 5 a.m. Saturday. The lanes will be closed until 5 a.m. Monday. Northbound lanes will remain open. However, be advised that northbound lanes will be shut down Sept. 5-8.

The detour will take drivers west on I-94 to west I-394 to south Hwy. 100 to east Crosstown. The closure is needed while crews survey I-35W for a road construction project between 46th Street and I-94 scheduled for summer 2017. Bridge inspection and other maintenance needs also will be conducted.

Metro Blue Line

Trains will not pick up or drop off passengers at the 50th Street and VA Medical stations from 7 p.m. Friday to midnight. Riders needing to begin or end their trips at either station can board replacement buses at either the 46th Street Station or at Fort Snelling

Throughout the rest of the weekend, here is where buses will operate in place of trains as Metro Transit does platform construction and track maintenance.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, Blue Line service will not be available between the Franklin Avenue Station and Terminal 2-Humphrey. Buses will fill in the gap. Trains will run between Target Field and Franklin and the Humphrey stop at the MSP Airport and the Mall of America. Trains will shuttle passengers between airport stops as well.

Passengers needing to get from the airport to downtown Minneapolis will take a Blue Line train to Humphrey-Terminal 2, and catch a bus from there.

From 3 a.m. Sunday to 3 a.m. Monday, trains will run from downtown Minneapolis to the 46th Street Station and from the airport stations to the Mall of America. Buses will fill in between 46th Street and Terminal 2.

Vikings traffic

Expect heavy traffic this afternoon as thousands head to the Vikings' first game at TCF Bank Stadium at the U of M. Football fans will tangle with evening commuters, so plan on gridlock around the area and be thrilled if it doesn't materialize. Here is a guide to getting to the game.

The game also will put some Metro Transit routes 118, 252, 579, 652, 789 and Minnesota Valley Transit Authority routes 465 and 475 buses on detour as Oak Street between 4th Street and 6th Street SE. will be closed starting at 11 a.m. The best advice is to look for your bus at Oak Street and Washington Ave. SE.

Metro area road work

94th Street Bridge over I-35W in Bloomington

The 94th Street bridge over I-35W in Bloomington is closed through mid-October. Ramps to southbound 35W are open but northbound ramps are closed.

University Avenue/4th Street ramp near the U of M

A detour is in place for drivers who use the ramp to access northbound 35W. It is closed for a couple weeks in conjunction with a project to build an auxiliary lane from University Avenue to Johnson Street. Here's how to get onto northbound 35W:

Take 10th Avenue north to Johnson Street, then east on Broadway Street to the New Brighton Blvd ramp to northbound 35W.

MnDOT will open the ramp for a couple hours tonight following the Vikings game to help get traffic off campus.

Northbound Hwy 65 in Fridley, Spring Lake Park

Northbound Hwy 65 between Medtronic Parkway/Old Central Avenue and County Road 10 is closed and detoured.

Brooklyn Boulevard Bridge over Hwy 100

The County Road 152/Brooklyn Boulevard Bridge is closed to motorists and pedestrians through mid-October. Also, Southbound Hwy. 100 will be reduced to one lane from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday into Saturday. Northbound will be reduced to one lane from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Hwy 61 in White Bear Lake

Hwy 61 between White Bear Avenue and north of Hwy 96 is reduced to a single lane. There are multipe streets that are closed where they intersect with Hwy 61.

Hwy 101 and County Road 144 in Rogers

Lane closures; northbound to eastbound County Road 144 is closed; westbound County Road 144 to northbound Hwy 101 is closed; County Road 144 is closed between James Road and the Hwy 101 construction; Hwy 101 between South Diamond Lake Road and 147th Street is single lane.

I-35E in St. Paul

The ramp to northbound I-35E from westbound I-94 is closed for a couple more weeks. A number of ramps between Little Canada Road and Maryland Avenue remained closed as work on adding a new MnPASS lane and reconstruction of 35E continues.

Southbound I-35W ramp to westbound Hwy 13

The southbound I-35W ramp to westbound Hwy 13 is closed through late fall as part of a Dakota County project.

Eastbound I-494- Wakota Bridge

This should be the last weekend for lane closures on eastbound I-494 on the Wakota Bridge between Hardman Avenue in South St Paul and Maxwell Avenue in Newport. The freeway will be reduced to two lanes.

County Road 61/Flying Cloud Drive in Chaska

Look for flaggers and construction in the vicinity of County 61/Flying Cloud Drive and the intersection of Hwy. 101.

In addition, both directions of County Road 61 will close east of Great Plains Blvd. at Bluff Creek. Motorists traveling west on County 61 will not have access to the Hwy. 101 bridge into Shakopee. The bridge itself will be open to traffic between Shakopee and Eden Prairie.

Hwy. 169 in Edina We've had this one in place for a little over a week, but incase you are coming into town for any of the above events, here's your reminder: The northbound lanes are closed from I-494 to Bren Road. Detour: Westbound I-494 to eastbound I-394 or eastbound I-494 to northbound Hwy. 100, then west on I-394

I-494 in Plymouth

MnDOT is widening bridges between and other work ahead of a freeway expansion project that will bring a third lane in each direction between Hwy. 55 and Bass Lake Road. For now, plan on lane closures in the overnight hours and throughout the weekend. A reminder that Schmidt Lake Road under 494 is closed. Motorists can bypass the closed segment by using Vicksburg Lane or Northwest Boulevard to County Road 47.

Hwy. 96 at Centerville Road

Ramsey County Public Works will be improving the intersection of Highway 96 and Centerville Road at the junction of White Bear Lake, White Bear Township and Vadnais Heights this weekend. Construction work will begin at 8 p.m. Friday and run until 5 a.m. on Monday. Motorists on Hwy. 96 in both directions will be allowed to proceed through the intersection and may make right turns only onto Centerville Road. Motorists travelling on Centerville Road will not be able to pass through the intersection, but will be able to make right turns onto Hwy. 96.

Drivers can plan on more weekend closures in the spring as the $239 million I-35W downtown-to-Crosstown project continues until 2021. In a shred of good news, MnDOT will reopen ramp access from northbound I-35W to 5th Avenue on Monday.

Winter's arrival has not put the chill on road construction as drivers will encounter another weekend freeway closure in Minneapolis, and bridge work in Forest Lake is expected to bring traffic delays.